The present invention relates to methods and systems for tracking and controlling mailpiece processing. More particularly, the present invention relates to methods and systems for tracking and controlling mailpiece processing using one or more postal service mailpiece codes.
In conventional mailpiece processing, a mailpiece includes multiple bar codes to control mailpiece inserting and sorting operations, as well as additional bar codes for mailpiece tracking once the mailpiece enters the mail stream. As used herein, the phrase xe2x80x9cmail streamxe2x80x9d refers to the path traversed by a mailpiece from the mailpiece origination address to the destination address. As used herein, the phrase xe2x80x9cmailpiece processingxe2x80x9d refers to operations performed on a mailpiece, such as sorting and inserting, before the mailpiece enters the mail stream.
Using multiple bar codes on a mailpiece for mailpiece processing and additional bar codes for mailpiece delivery and tracking in the mail stream presents a variety of problems as known to those of skill in the art. For example, using different bar code symbologies requires different readers. In addition, because the bar codes encode data according to different standards, each reader must have hardware and software that is tailored to decode the bar code according to the given standard. Requiring different readers and bar codes increases the expense of conventional mailpiece processing and tracking operations. Another problem with using multiple bar codes on a mailpiece to control mailpiece processing and mail stream tracking operations is that such bar codes make the mailpiece less aesthetically pleasing and reduce the amount of room for other information.
FIG. 1 of the drawings illustrates an example of a conventional mailpiece. In FIG. 1, mailpiece 100 includes bar codes 102 and/or 104 to control mailpiece processing operations. For example, bar codes 102 and/or 104 can be used to look up mailpiece inserting and sorting information in a database to control mail inserters and mail sorters. In addition, mailpiece 100 can also include codes 106 and 108 that are used for mailpiece delivery and tracking. For example, bar code 106 can be a United States Postal Service PLANET code used by the United States Postal Service to track mail electronically once the mail enters the mail stream. Similarly, code 108 can be a United States Postal Service POSTNET code that is also used by the United States Postal Service to control delivery of mailpiece in the mail stream. Finally, code 110 can be used by a mailer to perform inserter sequence verification integrity tracking.
Thus, as illustrated by mailpiece 100, a single mailpiece can include multiple bar codes that store different information for performing different functions. In addition, because the bar codes are of varying format, different types of readers and interpretation hardware and software can be required. For example, bar code 102 and/or 104 is of the Code 39 format, which requires a Code 39 reader. Bar code 104 is of the DataMatrix format, which requires a DataMatrix reader. Bar code 106 is of the PLANET code format which requires a PLANET code configured reader. Finally, bar code 110 is in character format, which requires optical an character recognition (OCR) configured reader.
Another problem associated with conventional mailpiece processing and tracking is that there are no standards as to where many of the bar codes should be located on a mailpiece. Thus, a mailpiece processing bar code may not appear in the same location on different groups of mailpieces. As a result, the orientation of code readers may require alteration from one mailpiece processing job to the next. This lack of uniformity in code placement can undesirably increase the cost of mailpiece processing.
As illustrated in FIG. 1, using a variety of bar codes on a mailpiece unnecessarily complicates the mailpiece processing and tracking operations. In addition, these codes make the mailpiece less aesthetically pleasing to the recipient. Thus, there exists a need for novel methods and systems for mailpiece processing and tracking that reduce the number and variety of bar codes that are printed on a mailpiece.
According to one aspect, the present invention includes methods and systems for mailpiece processing and tracking using one or more postal service mailpiece codes. As used herein, the phrase xe2x80x9cpostal service mailpiece codexe2x80x9d refers to any code or codes printed on a mailpiece used by a postal service for monitoring a mailpiece as it travels through a mail stream. For example, according to one aspect of the invention, the United States Postal Service PLANET and POSTNET codes are used to control mailpiece processing. These codes are used by the United States Postal Service to track mailpieces and to deliver origin and destination confirmation information to end users. According to another aspect of the present invention, these codes are also used to control mailpiece processing and tracking before the mailpiece enters the mail stream. Because the same code or codes are used to track a mailpiece in the mail stream and to control processing of the mailpiece before the mailpiece enters the mail stream, code reader design is simplified and the number of bar codes required to be printed on a mailpiece is reduced.
Accordingly, it is an object of the present invention to provide novel methods and systems for controlling mailpiece processing and tracking that reduces the number of codes printed on a mailpiece.
An object of the invention having been stated hereinabove, and which is achieved in whole or in part by the present invention, other objects will be evident as the description proceeds, when taken in connection with the accompanying drawings as best described hereinbelow.